The Gonstead Analysis was developed by Dr. Clarence Gonstead who practiced for over 50 years in Mt. Horeb, WI. Dr. Gonstead had a background in mechanical engineering, therefore he saw the human spine as an intricate engineering wonder and he studied it every chance he had. His work with thousands of spinal cases, his constant clinical studies of the spine, and his own innate knowledge of how the spine works, explains his ingenuity in finding, identifying and correcting subluxations like no one else could.
The Gonstead system gives rise to a specific, definite approach, to every segment of the spinal column. The detailed analysis includes instrumentation, digital palpation, motion palpation, visualization, x-ray followed by adjusting the articulations of the spine by hand only! Gonstead Doctors are trained exclusively in the Gonstead system. There is a clinical logic to every decision that is made for each and every patient.
Visualization – The Gonstead doctor looks for subtle changes in posture, movement and gait. Visualization is a way to cross reference all the other findings. Chiropractors are experts in looking for subtitle changes in your posture and movement which could indicate problems.
Static Palpation – This is simply the process of feeling (or palpating) your spine in a stationary (or static) position. The doctor will feel for the presence of swelling (or edema), tenderness and any abnormal texture or tightness in the muscles and other tissues of your back.
Motion Palpation – The doctor guides the patient through their able range of motion while feeling how each individual joint is moving. This process involves feeling the spine while moving and bending it at various angles. This enables the chiropractor to determine how easily or difficult each segment in your spine moves in different directions.
Instrumentation – The instrument of choice in the Gonstead System is the Nervoscope. The Nervoscope detects uneven distributions of heat along the spine which can be indicative of inflammation and nerve pressure/irritation. This instrument is guided down the length of your back and feels like two fingers gliding down each side of your spine.
X-ray – X-rays are taken standing and are used to look for disease process, fracture, posture, biomechanics, joint and disc integrity and vertebral misalignment. X-ray images enable the doctor to visualize the entire structure of your spine. We have the top of the line Digital X-ray System that allows us to see the image in second with clarity on each and every image we take. We do an analysis on each image that helps us find the cause of the pain, rather than just guessing because that’s were it hurts.
